This podcast focuses on discussions about life, society and culture.
Born and raised in Lagos, Nigeria, Ms. Funmto Ogunbamwo is passionate about dispelling the myths and stereotypes around mental health in Africa. A graduate of Austin College and Southern Methodist University in Texas, USA, Fumto is the founder of Ibi Ayo Therapy and Wellness in Lagos, Nigeria. She also runs a blog called Out of The Heart which is dedicated to exploring mental health, faith, young adulthood and overall wellbeing.In this episode co-facilitated with Dr. Olusola Togun-Butler, Founder/CEO of Butterfly Counseling Services in New York, Ms. Ogunbamwo discusses her relocation to Nigeria after studying in the United States, her motivation for becoming a psychotherapist, the challenges and potential impact of practicing in Nigeria, and her practice approach. She also discusses the role of religion and African culture in decisions to seek or reject help in that culture.
Mr. Michael Balles is a clinical social work practitioner and administrator. He is the Director of the Council on Addiction Prevention and Education (CAPE) of Dutchess County, New York. He has a record of significant accomplishments as an administrator in the the field of addictions treatment and has occupied major roles in several establishments. In this conversation, he provides an in-depth discussion of the etiology of addictions, the challenges and stigma associated with addiction.
Ms. Julianah Abimbola Ogundimu, MSW, MBA and Master CASAC-G is a Team Leader/Opioid Disorder System Specialist at Ulster County NY Sheriff Office and Adjunct Professor of Criminal Justice & Human Services. In this expansive interview, she discusses her work, the etiology and impact of substance addiction, and the effects of stigma associated with substance misuse.
Dr. Chikezie Uzuegbunam is the MA Program Coordinator in the School of Journalism and Media Studies at Rhodes University, South Africa. He is also the Acting Deputy Head of School in the same department. He has published prolifically, with over 30 peer-reviewed academic outputs in the areas of digital technology, young people and media, popular culture, political and health communication, and misinformation. In addition to academic publications, he has contributed numerous op-eds and essays to mainstream media and critical blogs. His latest book is “Children and Young People's Digital Lifeworlds: Domestication, Mediation, and Agency” published by Palgrave Macmillan under the book series of the International Association for Media and Communication Research (IAMCR). In this episode, he discusses his scholarship, motivations and inspiration.
 Dawn Wilkin is NYS OASAS Credentialed Prevention Specialist with 24 years experience in the prevention field She provides trainings and technical assistance throughout the Mid-Hudson Region in New York State. Currently she is the Director of Prevention Services for Catholic Charities of Orange, Sullivan & Ulster Counties in New York State, overseeing substance use prevention programs and services in those counties. Ms. Dawn Wilkin was a part of the planning team for the Hudson Valley Interlink Analytic System and PeerRX and serves on multiple county and state committees to promote health and safety, diversity, equity and inclusion for the communities she serves while advocating for their needs.
Barrister Oluyemi Adetiba-Orija is the Founder and Executive Director of Headfort Foundation in Lagos, Nigeria. She was named as one of BBC's Top 100 Women in 2021 for her incredible work as a legal powerhouse focused on decongesting Nigeria' prison system. She and her team of lawyers at Headfort Foundation work tirelessly to achieve freedom for Nigeria's wrongfully incarcerated individuals. In this conversation with Dr. Ohiro Oni-Eseleh the impact of her Foundation's work is discussed and it is quite befitting that she is receiving global attention for her efforts.
Dr. Olusola Togun-Butler is a Certified Clinical Trauma Professional, a Certified Dialectical Behavior Therapist, a member of the New York City Cognitive Behavior Therapy Association, and Kappa Delta Pi. She is the author of the children's book titled, Where Do You Keep The Lions? An African Girl's First Day of School in America. In this extensive interview with Dr. Ohiro Oni-Eseleh, she discusses her career as an academic, a psychotherapist, a businesswoman and her commitment to culture and society,
Dr. Eugenia Caternor is a certified Nurse Practitioner and the CEO of Transformations Center for Weight Loss in Smyrna, Delaware, USA. She has been providing professional weight loss services since 2005. She also is also specialized in mental health care and provides services in that area. In addition, she is the founder of Tsalach Foundation, a charitable organization that provides philanthropic services in multiple countries.
Professor Warren Graham is an Associate Clinical Professor and Assistant Dean for Practicum Education at Stony Brook University School of Social Work. He is also the President-Elect of the National Association of Social Workers-New York State (NASW-NYS) Chapter Board of Directors. In this conversation, Professor Graham speaks about his extensive work in academia and clinical practice, hi social justice work and what it is like to be a person of color in the spaces that he travels.
Ms. Yurilka Hernandez is the Assistant Vice President of Crisis and Care Coordination Services and Integration Services at Acacia Network, the second largest Latino led not –for- profit organization in the United States. She is also an adjunct professor at Adelphi University, New York. She is also a published author and founder of Psychotherapy & Consultation Group Services PLLC.
Dr. Martha Egenti is an acclaimed Linguistics scholar. She is a Reader (Associate Professor) on the faculty of Nnamdi Azikiwe University in Awka, Nigeria. She is also the Director of Awka Window on America where she coordinates programs that support and promote American Spaces. Dr. Egenti has received several awards for her scholarly work and she has spoken at conferences in several countries, including the United States, Germany, China, Morocco and Cote d'Ivoire.
Professor Dawn Cotter-Jenkins is a highly accomplished Speech-Language Pathologist. She is the Director of Clinical Education and Services at the Communication Disorders Department in Mercy University, New York. She is the President-elect of the Corporate Speech Pathology Network (CORSPAN) and Co-Chairperson of the Tele-practice topic committee for the American Speech-Language-Hearing (ASHA) 2024 convention. In this wide-ranging interview with Dr. Ohiro Oni-Eseleh, Professor Cotter-Jenkins discusses her career, the value of diversity initiatives, her mentoring work and what it is like to navigate the worlds of practice and academia.Â
In this video, Dr. Ohiro Oni-Eseleh speaks about the role of age in future planning. He also makes the point that, regardless of age, planning is still possible but it needs to be Specific, Measurable and Attainable within a Realistic Timeframe. In other words, every plan should be SMART.Â
In this episode, Dr. Ohiro Oni-Eseleh addresses a common concern that one's life purpose is either unknown or not being fulfilled. He makes the point that everyone has a place in this world and that it is possible to find one's mission by following specific steps.
Anxiety often co-exists with depression and frequently has associated triggers. In this video, Dr. Ohiro Oni-Eseleh discusses the importance of recognizing triggers and some steps for coping with anxiety.
While there are several reasons why people do not seek help for depression, this video underscores the importance of seeking help and helping others to do the same if needed.
The claim is often made by Africans that Africans are incapable of being depressed. That is a myth and a misperception of what depression is. Here, Dr. Ohiro Oni-Eseleh of Integrative Ruminations discusses the realities and speaks about the importance of seeking help.
In this episode, Professor Dawn Cotter Jenkins discusses her profession as a speech language pathologist.
In this episode, Ohiro Oni-Eseleh explains the reasons for his choice in casting his vote in the 2020 United States presidential election.
Ohiro Oni-Eseleh challenges our understanding of the concept of leadership in light of the Coronavirus epidemic and calls for a re-examination of the concept.
In this episode, Ohiro Oni-Eseleh discusses the state of our world in the aftermath of the police murder of George Floyd and the ensuing protests across the world.
In this episode, Ohiro Oni-Eseleh interviews two social work educators, Professors Schanica Pickens and Cynthia Swangin, and two consultants, Dr. Brian Leander of Leander & Associates and Ms. Felicia Callis-Guerrier of Alabaster Consulting about racism in the United States. Together, they explore the realities of racism and police brutality, as well as the circumstances surrounding the recent murder of Mr. George Floyd by police in Minneapolis, MN.
In this interview, Professor Schanica Pickens speaks candidly about some of the realities of being a black professional in higher education in the United States. In doing so, she also exposes the listener/audience to issues of race, gender and discrimination in the larger American society.
In this episode, Ohiro Oni-Eseleh laments that state of a world whose leadership is now largely dominated by liars. He describes lying leaders as a scourge to the arenas in which they lead and argues that they are responsible for much of the world's ills.
This episode focuses on society's margins and exposes some of the realities of our relationship with those who live on those margins.
In this episode, Ohiro Oni-Eseleh examines life, living and death. He argues that social relationships might be better if we if we understood and accepted these realities.
In this episode, Ohiro Oni-Eseleh discusses the role of fear and social rejection in fostering otherism. He proffers some solutions for change.
In this episode, Ohiro Oni-Eseleh explores the value of silence and argues that silence is not always golden.
In this episode, Ohiro Oni-Eseleh explores his country's responses to gun violence and addresses the fact that the nation's attention always tends to drift once media lights turn away from the crime scenes.
In this episode, Ohiro Oni-Eseleh explores some historical demonstrations of pure love and discusses its practical value for an increasingly disturbed world,
In this episode, Ohiro Oni-Eseleh discusses that value of engaging in a journey of self-discovery and argues that this journey is an essential task for everyone.
In this episode, Ohiro Oni-Eseleh examines the concept and practicalities of hope and argues that hope must have appropriate supportive structures and framework for it to be realizable.
In this episode, Ohiro Oni-Eseleh discusses the importance of social action and recommends taking a stand on issues.
In this episode, Ohiro Oni-Eseleh explores the concept of brilliance within the context of leadership and argues that many of the world's problems result from the rise to leadership positions people who disregard brilliance and rely instead on their ability to lie and deceive those who they lead.
In this episode, Ohiro Oni-Eseleh discusses our human tendency to create tangled webs for ourselves and suggests that it is often possible to stop and redirect ourselves before our webs become too entangled and too difficult for us to extricate ourselves..
In the episode, Ohiro Oni-Eseleh discusses a recent trip to Nigeria, examines the state of the country and concludes that Nigerians must change if the country is to change for the better
In the episode, Ohiro Oni-Eseleh reflects on his birthday
In this episode, Ohiro Oni-Eseleh discusses political leadership in the context of a play in which those who govern are the protagonists and those who they govern accept their relegation to the sidelines as mere onlookers instead of being active participants in shaping the societies that they live in. He argues that our world is replete with social injustice largely because political leaders have been allowed to govern irresponsibly while most of the rest of us just look on.
In this podcast episode, Ohiro Oni-Eseleh explores the festive period that is the end of one year and the beginning of another and examines the attending celebrations within the context of pain, suffering and joy. He argues that most emotions, as are many life experiences, are felt alone.
In the episode, Ohiro Oni-Eseleh explores some products of freedom and invites listeners who, like him, are free to consider engaging in actions that lead to freedom for those who are in bondage.
In this episode, Ohiro Oni-Eseleh discusses some of the challenges of aging in an African Continent where older persons are said to be held in utmost regard.
In the episode, Ohiro Oni-Eseleh explores some of the lessons of his youth and finds a place for it in history and in the context of today's world.
In this episode, Ohiro Oni-Eseleh discusses an unforgettable chance meeting
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